If eloping to Paris is a dream of yours, then you are going to love Naomi and Jeremy’s intimate and elegant wedding as much as I do. And if you don’t dream of it yet, I have a feeling you will by the end of this post. (Also, don’t miss the full gallery for tons more gorgeous photos from Audrey of One & Only Paris Photography.)

The story of Naomi’s dress is wonderful: “My dress is a Pricilla of Boston sample that still has the pattern and numbered tags sewn in,” says Naomi. “My mother found it in a thrift store in California for $30 about a year before I was even engaged. She mailed it to me and I knew right away it was The Dress.”

On her bridal bouquet Naomi says, “We ordered my bouquet from a flower shop around the corner from our apartment in Paris. The shop owner did not speak any English, so I just pointed to flowers I liked. I was thrilled with the end result!”

The lovely Naomi shared some words about her elegant and unique wedding, and why she and Jeremy decided to elope to Paris.

Why did you choose this location for your wedding? Neither Jeremy or I had been to Europe previously, and Paris was at the top of our travel list. We ended up having our symbolic ceremony in the gardens of Notre Dame Cathedral, which is significant to us for its permanence and beauty. Really anywhere in Paris would have sufficed, though.

What inspired you when you were planning your wedding? The way we planned our wedding wasn’t exactly tradtional. My mother was a wedding planner for years when I was growing up. After helping her plan so many weddings, picking out flowers and table settings was nothing new or magical for me. When I started to plan my own wedding, the idea of plunking down my savings for chair rentals and tents did not seem like it would make me any more married or more happy. I asked Jeremy, “What would make you feel married?” Thus we arrived at Paris.

What was your favorite moment or part of the day? One of my favorite moments was walking around the grounds of the Louvre with my husband just after we were married. The grounds were eerily empty, and it felt like a moment outside of time.

Did you include any traditions in your wedding? There were no specific traditions in our symbolic ceremony in Paris. When we returned to the states we had a party for family and friends, which was held at the same venue where Jeremy’s parents were married. We surprised everyone and had our civil marriage ceremony that night.

What was the best advice you received as a bride? To listen to your betrothed. Anyone can have a wedding, but in the end what kind of marriage do you want?

What advice do you have for other brides? There is no right way to get married. There is only what is right for you and your partner. Look at your financial situation, look at how you want to share your day and why. A big factor in our own decision to elope was that both my family and Jeremy’s had celebrated large family weddings within the past year. Our wedding wasn’t going to serve as the only time to see distant relatives for the next decade. It was nice to have the freedom to do what we wanted without any family pressure.

Do you have any budget tips for other brides? What do you want to spend your money on? All of the trappings in the world don’t necessarily make the wedding. Your friends and family really just want to see you happy. If for you that means flowers and ballrooms, go crazy. But if you worry guests might doubt your style or creativity by the look of your flower arrangements, then how well do they really know you?

Is there anything else you’d like to share about the day? After our wedding ceremony we had dinner at Laperouse, one of the oldest restaurants in Paris. The food was amazing, but I think the private dining cabins were our favorite part.